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Abstract

We demonstrate optically pumped continuous-wave photonic band-edge microlasers on a two-dimensional photonic crystal slab. Lasing was observed at a photonic band-edge, where the group velocity was significantly small near the K point of the band structure having a triangular lattice. Lasing was achieved by using a quantum dot gain material, which resulted in a significant decrease in the laser threshold, compared with photonic band-edge lasers using quantum well gain material. Extremely low laser thresholds of ~80 nW at 6 K was achieved. Lasing was observed in a defect-free photonic crystal as small as ~7 μm square.

(a) Band structure of the TE-like mode of a two-dimensional PhC with r/a = 0.30 and d/a = 0.67. (b) Magnetic field distribution normal to the slab of the band-edge mode at a/λ ~ 0.255 and the K point calculated using the FDTD method. (c) Spatial Fourier spectrum of the in-plane electric field of the band-edge mode. The circular and hexagonal white broken lines denote the air light line and the first Brillouin zone, respectively.

(a) Photoluminescence spectrum of PhC patterns with different periods of lattice at CW pumping of 1 μW and measured at 6 K. (b) Experimental and simulated band-edge mode wavelengths for the lasers with different lattice constants.

(a) Lasing spectrum of the optically pumped QD-based Ph band-edge laser at CW pumping of 1 μW and measured at 6 K. (b) Light-in versus light-out plot of the band-edge mode at 919.3 nm plotted on a log-log scale. The green broken lines denote a linear increase of an eye guide. The threshold pump power was ~80 nW, which was measured on the surface the sample. (c) Dependence of the linewidth on the pump power of the investigated band-edge mode. The linewidth shows typical lasing characteristic, which is observed in a microcavity laser.

(a) Lasing spectrum of the optically pumped QW-based Ph band-edge laser at quasi-CW (1 kHz, duty cycle: 1%) pumping of 1 mW and measured at 6 K. (b) Light-in versus light out plot of the QW-based band-edge mode at 901 nm plotted on the log-log scale. The threshold peak pump power is ~350 μW. (c) Dependence of the linewidth on the pump power of the band-edge mode. The linewidth reached a spectral resolution limit of ~20 pm of the detection system, which was sufficiently above the laser threshold.